1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of musical instrument support devices, and more particularly, to a shoulder strap for supporting a musical instrument in a comfortable playing position.
While the present invention is subject to a wide range of applications, it is particularly well suited for supporting a guitar in a proper playing position in front of a person.
2. Technical Background
Musical instruments come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are played in a number of different ways. Some instruments, such as pianos, are played while seated, while other instruments such as guitars, are generally played while standing. The later generally have to be held in a playing position for significant periods of time and are often heavy or become heavy to the musician during extending playing periods. In the case of musical instruments that are played with the hands and arms, such as guitars, prolonged playing quickly results in fatigue which may adversely affect the quality of play and may result in significant discomfort to the performer.
As a result of these adverse consequences, numerous attempts have been made to support the weight of such musical instruments on the larger body parts of performers, such as, but not limited to, the shoulders, back, and or waist in an effort to extend the comfortable playing time available to the performer, and significantly reduce the arm and hand fatigue associated with playing the musical instrument. By far the most widely used support device for musical instruments played while standing, such as, but not limited to guitars, is the shoulder strap. In the case of guitars, an elongated strap is generally affixed at its ends to spaced anchor points on the guitar and the strap or sling is extended over the players shoulder and across his or her back to support the weight of the guitar.
Although the musical instrument support device of the present invention may be utilized with any number of musical instruments, the device of the present invention will be described hereafter with reference to its use as a support strap for a guitar. One of skill in the art will readily recognize that the present invention may also be used to support other musical instruments and devices. Accordingly, the present invention is in no way limited to the field of guitars.
Generally speaking, a guitar includes a body and an elongated neck extending from the body. The neck carries a finger board over a major portion thereof, and includes a heel portion at a first end where it joins the body and a head portion at the second end remote from the body. The strings extend along the elongated neck and are fastened to a suitable support structure on the body at one end and to a suitable tuning mechanism on the head portion. The first of two anchor points is typically located on the body generally in line with the neck along the side of the body opposite the location where the neck is joined with the body. Depending on the instrument, and to some extent, on user preferences, the second of the two anchor points may be located on the instrument body generally proximate the heel, or at a position proximate the head.
Traditional single strap support mechanism configured to utilize the typical two anchor point configuration on a guitar, although less comfortable than other known support devices, are the most commonly used devices, since they provide the most flexibility for freedom of movement for a user. Because the weight of the guitar is almost entirely supported on a single shoulder of the user, however, fatigue and discomfort are still two significant drawbacks to the use of such devices. Generally speaking, such straps are manufactured from a single piece of material that is generally only flexible when bent from end to end. Although attempts, such as the development of curved straps, have been made to overcome this shortcoming, shoulder straps having flexibility in numerous directions appear to be absent in the art.
What is needed therefore, but presently unavailable in the art, is a musical instrument shoulder strap that is comfortable to the user over extended periods of time, flexible in numerous directions, light in weight, and sturdy in construction. Of particular importance is that the shoulder strap provide flexibility (or give) in the lengthwise direction of the strap. Such a device should be inexpensive to manufacture and adjustable in size. It is to the provision of such a musical instrument support strap that the present invention is primarily directed.